Convener



Feb. 18,` 1947. .1. A. PORTER CONVEYER original Filed Nov. 9, 1944- IVENTOR BY 790/* el*- g.. Q72

Ressued Feb. 18, 1947 CONVEYER John A. Porter, San Antonio, Tex.

Original No. 2,388,283, dated November 6, 1945,

Serial No. 562,640, November 9, 1944. Application for reissue September 16, 1946, Serial No.

claims. (o1. 19a-35) (Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, as

amended April 30, 1928; 370 0. G. 757) The invention described herein, if patented may be manufactured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes, without the payment to me of any royalty thereon.

This invention relates to means for moving a load from one location to another, and particularly to a conveyer so constructed as to control the movement of the load traveling thereon.

More specifically, the invention is directed to a roller type conveyer provided with means to stop or arrest the movement of the load in an easy and simple manner. Itis frequently necessary to interrupt the movement of the load traveling on a conveyer for numerous reasons. I realize that arresting devices have heretofore been employed to stop the travel of the load at various locations in the conveyer system. Perhaps one of the most widely used arrangements has been a braking means which is projected into the path of the load to stop its forward progress. Manifestly, this type of arresting member is subjected to severe shock during the braking operation, and, as a consequence is easily broken or damaged requiring either replacement or repair. Other types of braking units have been devised, but they are relatively complex both in construction and operation, and the cost of manufacture is too great to permit their widespread employment.

To overcome the disadvantages of the prior art is a primary object of this invention.

An object of this invention is to provide an arresting device for roller conveyers which will stop the load in the operative position, and yet will not interfere with its forward movement when the arresting device is in the inoperative position.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a stop section in a roller conveyer which has the movement from a position where its rollers are below the plane of the other rollers of the conveyer to arrest the forward movement of the load, to a position where the rollers will be in the same plane as the other rollers to effect a continuous load moving surface.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide an arresting section for conveyers which is simple in structure and operation, and which can be easily and cheaply manufactured.

To accomplish the above and other objects, this invention embraces the idea of incorporating in a roller conveyer a separate section capable of limited vertical movement from an operative to an inoperative position. The section is lowered through mechanical linkage to a position where its rollers lie below the plane of the other rollers of the conveyer, and, also projected to a position where the rollers will be in the same plane as the other rollers thereby providing a continuous conveying surface.

With the foregoing and other advantageous objects in view, the present invention consists in the construction, combination land arrangement of elements as will be more fully hereinafter set forth as shown in the attached drawing and finally enumerated in the attached claims.

Attention is invited to the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification in which like reference numerals designate the same or similar parts throughout the several views in which:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a roller conveyer having included therein my novel movement arresting section. Figure 2 is a transverse sectional view taken along the line 2-2 of Figure 1 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 3 is a bott-om view of the construction shown in Figure l.

As shown in Figure 1, the conveyer comprises parallel spaced side rails I and shafts 2 carrying rollers 3 are conveniently journaled in the side rails. My novel movement arresting section, indicated generally 4, may be located at any suitable point in the conveying apparatus, and preferably is adjacent each distribution point. In Figure 2 it will be noted that the section 4 comprises sidewalls 5 of angle section, and rollers 6 are mounted on shafts 1 whose outer ends are rotatably mounted in the side walls 5. suitably secured to transverse cross braces 8 for the conveyer at the upper and lower ends thereof are angle brackets 9 and I0 respectively. The lower edge of each side wall 5 is adapted to con- -tact the bracket I 0 thereby limiting the downward movement of the rollers 6, and as will be described in more detail, the upward movement of the stop section 4 will be arrested when the ide walls engage the flange of the upper bracket To raise or lower the rollers 6, a pair of cam surfaces II are located adjacent each end of the stop section 4. The cams are in continuous contact with the horizontal flange of each side wall and are carried by a shaft I2, each end of which is journaled in a bearing I3 attached to the side rails I. An arm I4 is fixed to each shaft I2 and one end of a link I 5 is connected to the end of the arm as shown at I6. The other or free end of the link I5 is secured to an operating lever I1 as designated by the numeral IB. The lever I1 is pivotally secured by means of a screw or the like I9 to a transversally extending strap or brace 2D, which is fixed at each end to the side rails. p v y If the' operator desires to lowerfthe section 4 so that the rollers 6 will assume the position shown by the full lines in Figure 1, the lever I1 being located adjacent each of the four corners of said rectangular movable section; shafts on which said cams are xed, said shafts being rotatably mounted. on the fixed yside rails; means for actuating said cams vto lower said movable section so that the plane of its rollers will be below the plane of the rollers carried by the side is turned to rotate each cam from its high point (shown by broken lines) to its low point. -In this position the side walls 5 of the section 4 will rest on the horizontal flange of the lower brackets Hl and the periphery of each roller E will be below the upper edge of the side rails l. Ob-

viously, any load moving along the conveyer will l it can travel the length of the be stopped before section 4.

It will further be appreciatedzthat the .box

or crate, etc., is resting directly on the `side rails` and it is possible to either close or open the crate readily and quickly. This arrangement permits the invention to be employed ,inasfsembly or production lines" where suchl operationsjare neces'- sary.

To, elevate the stop section, theflever l1 is rotated in the opposite direction thereby moving the cams 'Il 'from their low fpoint to their high point position. This movement ofthe cams will in turn raise 'the section 4 until the sidewalls thereof contact the flange of the upper brackets 9. At this point'tlie rollers 6 'will bein the position shown by th'e broken lines and all the rollers of thejconveyer will'be in the same plane,l thus providinga continuous load moving surface.

By virtue of the foregoingdescription, I have devised a relatively simple movement arresting section for conveyers both in construction and operation. fThe' device comprises few essential elements and it is apparent that the cost of 'manufacture is very reasonable and the replacement or repair rof damaged vparts can be readily accomplished.

' It will beI fully understood that the foregoing description and accompanying drawing lcover 'only the general vand preferred embodiment of vthe invention and that various changes in con# struction, proportion and arrangement of the elements may be made by those'skill'edin the artwith'out departing from the .spirit and scope of the invention vclaims.

I claim: y

l; A conveyer comprising a pair of' fixed. elongated, parallel, spaced side rails, a plurality of rollers `supported between said side rails, cross braces disposed between said side rails, a movable conveyer sectiony disposed vbetween two of said cross braces and said 'spaced' side rails, a plurality of rollers carriedby said movable conveyer section, meansv to lower said movable section so that the plane of its rollers will be below the `plane of the rollers carried by the side rails, and means connected to the two cross braces between `which the movable conveyer section is` disposed to limit the vertical movement of the movable conveyer section.` f

.f L2. A vconveyer comprising a pair of fixed elongated, `parallel, spaced side rails; a plurality `of rollers supported between said side rails; cross braces disposed between said side rails; a recas'set forth in the appended rails, ysaid means comprising a transversely extending strap connected to said side rails beneath said movable section and intermediate its ends, an operating lever pivotally connected thereto .intermediate its ends, and linkage means connecting saidoperating lever to said cam shafts; and means `connected to the two cross braces between which thev movable conveyer section is disposedto limit the vertical movement of the movable conveyer section.

-tangular movable conveyer section disposed between two of said cross braces and said yspaced side rails; a plurality of rollers carried byv said movable conveyer section; cams on whichsaid movable section is normally supp0rted,.one vcam :,3. Afconveyer comprising a plurality of rollers, supporting means for said rollers, said supporting means comprisinga pair of spaced side rails, amovable conveyer section' disposed 'betweensaid spaced'sidei rails, a plurality of rollers carried by said 'movable conveyer section 'in a planep'arallel to'that oi said rs't-namedrollers, 'means to lower said movable section so that the plane `of its rollers will bebelow the plane of the rollers supported by the side rails and belowv the -plane of saldfside rails, sova's to deposit on said sid'e rails a load of, a widthexceed'ing the distance between said rails, and means to limit the vertic'al movement of the movable conveyer section;

n 4. A conveyer comprising a plurality of rollers, supporting means for 'said rollers, said supporting means comprising a pairV of spaced lside rails, a movable conveyer `section `disposed between said spaced sider'ails; a plurality of` rollers carried by said movable conveyer section, means to lower said movable sectionso that the plane of its roll-A ers will be below the plane ofthe rollerssupported by the side rails and below the plane of said side rails, 'so as to deposit onr said side rails 'a load oija width 'exceeding the distance tbetweensaid rails,` fand means connected to*' said'supporting means 'to i limiti the vertical movement ofA the movable conveyer section.

` 5k A conveyer comprising a plurality yof vl'oacl conveying rollers, supporting means for said rollers, said supporting m'ear'i's comprisingfa pair of spaced side rails, a movable conveyer section Adisposed between saidf'spafce'd 'side rails, aplurality of rollers carried byjsai'drmovable conveyer section,means to lower saidm'ova'b'le section so that the plane of its, rollers 'will be below kthe plane of the rollers` supported byl the side rails and below the'planeyof'said" side rails; so as'to deposit Number Name l l Y 1,694,591 Grady Dec. 11,*1928 2,267,6:05 II rake, V Dec 23,1941 f ,FoREiGNnATENTs Y 'Number "Country, Date 

